In many industries, diagnostic systems play an increasingly important role in manufacturing processes, as well as in maintenance and repair throughout the lifetime of the equipment or product. Some diagnostic systems are based on personal computer technology and feature user-friendly, menu-driven diagnostic applications. These systems assist technicians and professionals at all levels in performing system diagnostics.
With equipment and products becoming more advanced, more complex, and more expensive with the addition of electronic components the knowledge base and financial resources required to properly use, maintain, and fix these items have grown immensely. Moreover, the amount of peripheral information and devices relating to the use, maintenance, and repair of the equipment and products has also increased. Access to all of this information while keeping expenses down is crucial to proper and efficient use, maintenance, and repair of the equipment and products. But, access alone is insufficient. For the best results for using the available information, it must be accessible in a timely manner, generally the faster the better, it must be accurate, and one must know how to use it. However, all of this may be very daunting for one piece of equipment or product. The management of all of this information only increases with every piece of equipment or product used, maintained, or fixed. Today, such large amounts of information may be managed from locations remote to a diagnostic tool and delivered to a user electronically.
It is desirable to provide a method and system to provide diagnostic information to a user in a timely and cost effective manner. More specifically providing an interface for the user to access diagnostic information on a device that allows the user freedom to quickly access diagnostic information without needing to figure out the various communication protocols to communicate between the devices.